Lubricating device for cork-rod packing machines



Aug. 10, 'J BINDER 2,326,428

LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CORK ROD PACKING MACHINES Filed April 17, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug.'10, 1943. J. M. BINDER LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR CORK ROD PACKING MACHINES Filed April 17, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN'VENTOR c/okn/ m. B,mdr

(aw RNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1943 LUBRICATING DEVICE FOR coax-Ron V PACKING MACHINES John M. Binder, New Hyde Park, N. Y., assignor to Consolidated Cork Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 Application April 17, 1942, Serial No. 439,354

3 Claims.

This invention relates to means for filling and packing particles of cork or similar granulated materials into elongated tubes to thereby form" the cork into rod-like sections which are subsequently cut into disks used for lining the insides of bottle caps or like articles. such a machine is found in my Patentv No. 2,183,928 dated December 19, 1938.

In a machine of this character, a plurality of metal tubes are carried on rotating conveying means and the granulated cork is deposited and packed down into the tubes at a number of filling stations during successive halts in the rotation of the conveying means or turret. The filled tubes are carried away from the turret and subsequently the cork that has been deposited into the tubes and has formed into rodlike sections, is forced out of the tubes and later severed into disk-like sections. To facilitate the ejection or removal of the rods from the tubes in which they are formed, it is desirable to lubricate the inner surfaces of the tubes prior to the filling operation. This is usually done by hand prior to the placement of the tubes on the conveyor that transports them to the filling means.

The primary object of the present invention'is to provide tube-lubricating means which will dispense with laborious hand lubrication and which will enable the tubes to be internally lubricated automatically just prior to being carried to the first cork-filling station on the machine.

The invention further, contemplates the provision of means by which thetubes are lubricated while disposed in their normal filling position whereby they may successively receive charges of the granulatedcork 'or other filling material directly after having been internally lubricated. n

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view ofa structure made in accordance with the invention, the view being taken on the line ll of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig; 2 is is a vertical sectional viewshowing the lubricat ing tube at the lowermost point of its'descent into the tube to which the lubricant is applied;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the lower portionof the lubricating tube showing the attachment of the swab; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on theline An example or" a 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of'the arrows; Fig. 61s a vertical sectional View through the valve of Fig.5; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line l"l of Fig. 6, loolnng in the direction of the arrows. v

'In the accompanying, drawings portions of a tube-filling machine are disclosed, the machine being similar to thatdisclosed in my Patent No.

2,183,928and, providedpwith a novel means for internally lubricating the tubes in which the ground cork is packed.

g The machine in which the lubricating mech-' anism is employed, includes a vertically disposed stationary cylinder I provided with twoslots 2 and 3 through which the cross- -head l, attached by means of the bearing 5 to a push rod 6, moves I which the tubes 10 halt and into which cork granules descend from the hopper and, by means I .of a feeder member l2, are caused to descend into a funnel or chute l3 located above the tube H) to be filled.

The tubes to be filled are carried on an intermittently rotated turret M rotatably mounted on the roller bearings l5 on top of .a flange 16 on the table top ll. During pauses inthe rotative movementof the turret [4 the tubes are each internally lubricated and thereafter receive successive charges of cork which is packed or tamped down by means of the rods 8. 'Allof these elements form part of the machine disclosed in my Patent No. 2,183,928. I

The tubes to be lubricated and thereafter filled, are disclosed at Illb in Fig. 4, wherein it will be seen that the same are held in vertical position and moved along toward the turret i4 bymeans of a chain conveyor l8. When each tube reaches the turret, it is delivered onto the same to reach a position under the lubricating m'eans. Said 'means includes a, downwardly dependent tube [9 provided at its lower end with a cylindrical brush or swab 20, having a shank 20a fitting into the end of the tube'l9 and secured therein by the screw 2%. The brush'or swab 29 is so arranged. that upon descent of the plunger head i, the brush or swab 20 willdescend down into the tube lilo and :apply lubricant over "the. entire inner face of the tube. I

The lubricating tube I9 is secured in the" radially extending flanges 2I-and not the plunger head I by means of the screws 23 and near-its lower end and just above the brush or swab 20, the lubricating tube (9 is formed with a plurality of holes 24 through which the lubricant can pass from inside the tube and reach and saturate the brush or swab 20.

The top of the cylinder 3 is provided with a cap member 25 providedwith a centrally located post ZS'that supports a discor plate 2'! from which hangers or straps 28 extend. Projecting radially from the head 25 and below the disc 21 is an arm 29 that supports a valve 30; the details and operation of which are closely disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6. The valve is provided with a top portion 3| closing the upper'end' of the housing 3la and formed with a passage 32 and a down wardly dependent tubular part 33 through which a supply of lubricant is delivered to the interior of the housing am of the valve. Passage 32 is connected through pipe 34 and valve 35 to a tank 38 in which a supply of the lubricant is contained. The tank 36 may be supported in any suitable manner adjacent to the machine, and as shown is held by the straps 31. A gauge glass 38 is provided on the tank for determination of the quantity of lubricant contained within the :1

same.

- Vertically movable within the valve housing am is the valve member 39 which is provided with a conical head 40 normally adapted to be held against'the seat 4| to thereby close the outlet 42 leading from the valve'housing 31a. A spring 43 is located within the valve member 39- and normally tends to maintain the head 40 in contact with theseat' M as clearly indicated in Fig; -6 I to thereby close the outlet 42.

The valve member 39 is formed with a plurality of radial slots 44 so that lubricant flowing 'from the-tubular part 33 may pass through the slots' to reach the interior of the housing 39 and when the valve is open or in the position shown in Fig. 3, it will pass out of the outlet opening 42.

Directly below. the valve 30 is'a funnel carried by the flange Zl of plunger head I, said fun- 1 filling station.

ing carried away from the turret are indicated at llld in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing, the operation of the device will be readily understood. The tubes to be filled with cork are carried by the conveyor as indicated at lllb and successively reach a posi tion beneath the lubricating rod I!) which, upon descent of the plunger head 1, swabs the interior of each tube. Upon rising of the plunger head 1, the tube thus lubricated will be moved to the first The application of lubricant to the interior of each tube just prior to the disposition of the first charge of cork therein ensures the cork being deposited into a freshly lubricated tube and permits the easy ejection or removal of the finished cork V rodafter the tubes with the cork rods formed therein have been removed from the machine.

Th employment of a lubricating device of this character in combination with a cork-filling'machine. ensures lubrication of the. tubes directly prior to filling so that. drying out of; the lubricant nel having a base or bottom plate t6 adapted to v contact with the stem portion 41 extending downwardly from the valve 39 and elevate the valve member as indicated in Fig. 5 topermit the flow of lubricant into the funnel G5 and from thence through the spout 48 communicating with the top or open end of the lubricating tube [9. Itwill thus be apparent that each'time that theplunger head I is raised, the base plate 45 of funnel 45 will strike against the lower end of the stem M and raise the valve member '39 from ofi the seat 4| to permit a flow of lubricant down into the lubricating tube 19. Thedubricant so applied to the interior of the'tube l9 willflow out through the holes 24 and saturate the brush or swab 2-8.

'- Upon the descent of the plunger head I, thetubel9 and the brush or swab 20 carried thereby, will be forced down into the interior of the tube I00 to apply a lubricating coating'to the inside within the tube before: the filling takes place never occurs.

able on the postand carrying plungers for packing the cork in the tubes, a swab carried by said carrier and adapted to be thrust downwardly into each tube before the tube is carried by the turret to the filling means, alubricant-supply means mounted above th carrier, said lubricant-supply means including a tank, a valve connected theretoand located above the swab, said valve including a downwardly projecting stem, and an abutment carried by the carrier and adapted to be brought into, contact with the valve stemtupon raising movement of the carrier, to thereby open the valve, and means for delivering lubricant from the outlet of the valve to theswab when the valve isso opened. 1 V .7

'2. A lubricating device for tubes adapted to receive a filling oi-cork particles, comprising, means for supporting a tubein a vertical position, a reciprocating carrier mounted above the tube, a

, hollow shaft dependent vertically from the carrier, a swab on the end-of said hollow shaft and carried thereby into the interior oi the tube .to lubricate the inside surface of the tube, a lubricant-container having a, valve located in fixed position above the hollow shaft to one sid of the vertical :axis of the. same, means. for. normally wall surface of the same; Upon risingmovement of the plunger head I, the tube l9 will be elevated to the raised position shown in Fi -AIWhBIe it will receive another charge of lubricant and the tube lBc that has been lubricated will then be moved to the first, filling station ll whereit a,

will receive its first charge of ground cork and will thereafter continue from one filling station o, th e t, until t eaches he ast lli station imit t d. s il i ig. ir m' whence it; w lb ried away from the turret 4. The filled tubes be- ,deliveredto the-.chain conveyorta and to car:

holding the valve closed, anonerating stem dependent iromthe valve, a funnel. moun on. th

carrier. innesition. t surround t ope-rating Stem whenthe carrier is; raised to elevated position, a spoutv extending from. the, ,funnel and communieating with, the interior oithel hollow shaft, and an -abutmeriit wi hin. the funne for co tac wi thefoperatingstem of the valve to open the valve andcau'sg a charge ofdubricant to be delivered into the funnel each time that the carrier reaches its elevatedposition. F

3."A'lubricating-device for tubes adapted to receive a filling of cork particles, comprising, means for supporting atube in a vertical posithe scope of the tion, a reciprocating carrier mounted above the tube, a hollow shaft dependent vertically from the carrier, a swab on the end of the shaft and carried thereby into the interior of the tube to lubricate the inside surface of the tube, a, lubrion the carrier provided with'a bottom for impingementagainst the valve-operating stem to open the valve when the carrier is raised, the side wall of the funnel having a laterally directed spout in communication with the interior of the hollow shaft to direct lubricant from the funnel into said shaft.

' JOHN M. BINDER. 

